I had a really good day on my last day in Houston. Everything seemed to flow well, like a gentle brook, all the way through to takeoff when the plane synced up with the on-board “house mix” I had playing in my earbuds. Everything felt right, even when plans changed or there were unexpected delays. I felt happy and whole. And that whole time I was feeling that way, our beloved blind cat in Lebanon was rapidly dying from a blood clot, unbeknownst to me.
I’m thinking about that disjunction, now that Piper has passed. Was I being prepared for the news? It didn’t make much of a difference. Would I have preferred to know earlier? I tell myself I do.
All I know is Piper was no ordinary cat; a few who know me well know what I actually mean. But even if you don’t know that, you’ll have your own reasons for calling her special.
I look at these photos and wonder what I’ll remember when I see them next year or the year after. Memory is a strange laminate.